Sphero Discontinues Its BB-8, R2-D2, and Other Licensed Disney Products

Sphero's hinted that it's getting out of the licensed product game, but this week CEO Paul Berberian confirmed that the company is clearing out its remaining licensed inventory and won't be restocking the supply. From a report: That means the company won't be producing any more BB-8s, R2-D2s, Lightning McQueen cars, or talking Spider-Mans. The listings for all the toys list them as 'legacy products' that are no longer in production. App support will continue for 'at least two years, if not longer,' Berberian says. The Disney partnership lasted three years, but ultimately, the licensed toy business required more resources than it was worth, Berberian tells The Verge. These toys sold well when released with a movie, but interest waned over time as the movie became more distant, he says. Still, the company sold 'millions' of BB-8s, although company data shows that the toys weren't used much after initial play time and eventually sat on shelves.

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